Love Survives
by flutegirl0422
Summary: Herry and Ginny go through many trials and triulations to try to get their feelings out..will it be enough in the end?
1. Thoughts

**1: Thoughts**

Ginevra Molly Weasley awoke on a bright summer morning surrounded by an aura of happiness. Today was the day she had been waiting for. The day she would finally profess her true feelings to Harry James Potter, the only man she could ever truly love. Ever since she heard about him from her older brother, Ron, she had a crush on him. Not until her first year at Hogwarts, however, after Harry had saved her life in the Chamber of Secrets, had she really known that she loved him. Ginny had felt a bond with Harry so strong after Lord Voldemort so helplessly controlled her as if she was a piece in a chess game that she knew that this person could take care of her and love her as no one would ever love her. It was in her third year when her hope started to dwindle. Harry liked another girl, Cho Chang, and in the following year she and Harry had dated. _Curse her…_she thought maliciously. During this time, Ginny was so distraught that she could barely eat or sleep and she was studying hours on end to keep her mind off of him. She had dated Michael Corner and Dean Thomas in her fourth year, but Michael always said he came before anything else and Dean had been flirting with a wide variety of other girls, particularly Susan Bones, so Ginny called the relationship off. _Good riddance too…_

She thought.

Ginny dug around in her trunk to find the gift that she had gotten Harry, because today was his birthday. As she held up the picture of them in the Chamber, which she had drawn herself, she couldn't help but break into tears. She sobbed quietly for a moment and then regained her composure. _I have got to stop doing_ _that…_She often broke into tears thinking of that terrible time when Voldemort had possessed her. _It's over now. Harry will protect me…I hope…_She went to her wardrobe and got dressed while hoping and praying her knight in shining armor would take her as his damsel.

Harry woke up with a start. _Today is my birthday… _he thought happily. He stared out of his window to the sun shining brightly on the lovely scenery surrounding 12 Grimmauld Place with a smile, but that smile disappeared as suddenly as it had come. He started to think of Sirius, his godfather._ Why did he have to die? _He thought grimly. He seemed to be the only one that Harry had to confide in. That was until Ginny had stepped up to help him through his time of grief. She was the only one who could make him happy, the only one who could understand. They had a very special bond that could never be broken. Lord Voldemort had been inside both of their minds enshrouding their lives in darkness and pain. They sought each other to get through it and had become closer in the process. Harry realized that he loved her more than anything in the world_. I only hope she feels the same…after all I did ignore her for four years…_he thought as he got ready to face the day that lay ahead.

Ron and Harry raced each other down the ancient and rickety stairway that led to the kitchen. The Black family residence, which now belonged to Harry, had undergone a vast variety of changes over the summer. Most of the filth had been cleaned out during the summer before they're fifth year, Ginny's fourth, and Mrs. Weasley had been taking great care in the house while the school term went on, but once the children had returned, she put them straight to work.

"Careful, you'll break something and we just finished fixing this place up!" said Hermione, very proudly. She was sporting a striped tank top and some shorts with her hair in two bushy plaits to the sides.

"Alright MOTHER DEAREST," Said Ron jokingly. "We shall be more careful" He went to her and kissed her gently on the cheek as he took his place beside her. They had been going out for about a month now. Ron finally realized that he loved her more than anything in the world and as soon as he was able to get a hold of her professed his true feelings and asked her to be his girlfriend. She told him that she shared those feelings and that she would be glad to be his girlfriend. She also added that she would take him over a thousand Viktor Krum's, at which he beamed brightly.

"Happy birthday Harry! I can't believe you lot didn't think of it!" said Mrs. Weasley as she smothered him in one of her lovingly warm hugs.

A chorus of happy birthdays soon followed her proclamation. Harry thanked each person, noticing that one person was missing. "Where is Ginny?" he asked perplexed. She was usually down before he was.

"I'm right here," Ginny announced as she happily went to her place at the table. She wore her fiery red hair in a loose ponytail, and was wearing a form-fitting orange Chudley Cannons shirt and some jeans that she borrowed from Hermione.

_She looks lovely today…_thought Harry.

"Happy birthday Harry," she said with a grin. _Wait until he sees what I have gotten him…_ she thought as she sank her teeth into her warm toast.

Harry and Ginny wandered around in the backyard of 12 Grimmauld Place slowly as they glanced at the wonderful scenery. Before it had looked like a god-forsaken mess of weeds and dead flowers, but now after much hard work and effort, there was a beautiful garden, a pathway, and even some benches gathered around a small stone hearth, mainly used for roasting marshmallows (it was Hermione's idea to put it in). It was late afternoon and they had both been chatting away, mostly about what they wanted to do with their lives after the final battle with Voldemort. Harry had shared the prophecy with her, but no one else just yet. As they reached the benches they sat down opposite each other, gazing silently into the ashes that were left in the small fire pit. The wind made them dance about, as if by magic. This, of course, probably wouldn't have been too uncommon where they came from.

"The weather is quite wonderful, isn't it?" asked Ginny, breaking their shared silence. _As are you…_she mused.

"Yes, quite lovely, like yourself." Said Harry, and then realizing what he had just said.

"Excuse me?" said Ginny quizzically. She thought that she had heard him say something, but she was too distracted by the look in his eyes. _Something must be troubling him…_

" Nothing." _Good. She didn't hear me…_

"Oh. Er..." This was her chance. She could tell him right now if she could just get the words out! "Harry," she spoke as her voice quavered with nerves. _I am so stupid, just as I was when I had just a schoolgirl's crush on him…_

"Ginny," he said at the same time. "Go ahead. You probably had something more important to say."

"Actually…" Ginny was cut off just as she was about to say how he truly felt by Mrs. Weasley calling them inside for supper. "Hurry, it's getting cold!"

_Why, oh why did she have to come?… _Ginny thought as she walked through the doors in a huff.


	2. Birthday Celebrations and Challenges

**2: Birthday Celebrations and Challenges**

"Supper was great, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said with a wide grin and a full stomach. Molly Weasley always treated Harry like a son and for his birthday had made a feast with ham and potatoes and some wonderful puddings and pies.

"No problem, Harry. It is your birthday, after all," said the motherly figure.

"Speaking of birthdays, " announced Fred, "we should get out the presents!"

"You guys didn't have to get me anything, really. Just being with the people I love most is the best thing that I could have." Harry said modestly.

"We all chipped in to get a little something for you. It wouldn't be right to have a birthday without presents," said Hermione. "But before presents, I have something that I made for you, Harry." She ducked into the kitchen and came back with a small cake reading 'Happy 16th Harry' in her neat handwriting. She turned out the lights and lit the single tiny candle. "Incendio" she whispered. "Make a wish, Harry. Go on!"

A chorus of this soon aroused and as Harry blew out the single flame he thought, "Please let everyone be safe and let me have the courage to do what the prophecy foretold…"

"Here are the presents!" chorused the beloved Weasley twins. Everyone had eaten a slice of cake and complimented Hermione on her exemplary culinary skills, but returned their attention to Harry as the twins announced their arrival with bushels of packages in their hands.

As some Order members who had come to celebrate went to help the twins, the others were exclaiming, "Open mine first!" or, "Harry will love what I got him!"

"Alright settle down!" Mrs. Weasley shouted above the rest of the crowd. "Harry, choose the present you want to open first." He chose a bright orange package that was poorly wrapped, directly in front of him. The small, dilapidated placard on it read 'From Ron'. Harry swiftly ripped open the covering and saw that there was a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and three Chocolate Frogs, as well as a miniature Firebolt. "I hope you like it." Said Ron, his ears red from embarrassment that he had to pay almost all of his savings for the gift. "Its bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Harry, mimicking his best friend's infamous line. "Love it, mate" He stood up and gave Ron a huge hug and then searched for another present.

This next one was obviously from the twins. There was a charm put on it so that whenever the receiver opened the package, it would close back up. After Mr. Weasley took the charm off, Harry noticed that there were two packages of Filibuster's Fireworks and a small slip of paper that said, 'Free Joke Consultation from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'.

"It's on us mate," said Fred. "And we'll give you some extra supplies if it's for that Umbridge woman," George chimed in. Everyone shuddered as if he had said 'Voldemort', remembering the wretched things she had done this past school term. Harry could still see a faint scar on his hand from the vile detentions that she held. "Don't give me ideas…" Harry said jokingly and he turned to hug the twins.

Half an hour had passed and Harry had opened all of his presents. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione had both knitted Harry something, Hermione a hat (her knitting wasn't so bad now that she had some more practice) and Mrs. Weasley a scarlet sweater with a small black dog on the front. "I made it so that you can remember Sirius…not that you would need much help…"She said this with tears welling in her eyes. "It's great," Harry said with a faint smile.

Mr. Weasley had given Harry an enchanted toaster. "Nothing will burn! Trust me, I tried it" Bill and Charlie shipped some sweets from Egypt and Romania, and Percy stopped being a git and got over himself. He gave Harry a book all about the Ministry of Magic and it's different departments. "I heard you wanted to be an Auror, and the information in this book is phenomenal." Harry responded politely, "Thanks, Percy." Remus Lupin had given him a book on advanced Dark Arts spells and Tonks had given him and enchanted mirror. "It's very much like the Mirror of Erised. It shows what you desire most, but it also gives you some helpful hints on how to get it. I made it myself." Harry gave each person a hug and sat down looking at all the presents. He looked at all of his friends and his adoptive family and he noticed something. One person was missing, and that person was Ginny.

Ginny was sitting on her, bed head in hands and wondering what was going on downstairs. She had been in her room crying for the past hour since her mum came and called her in for supper. "Sounds like great fun," she said as she glared at the small drawing, her gift for Harry. She clutched the drawing to her heart, then realizing what she had to do. "It's his birthday, and I should be down there celebrating with the rest of the family. What am I doing up here?" she thought aloud and she stormed out of the room

Not wanting to disturb the entertaining atmosphere of the room, Ginny tip toed down the ancient stairs and quietly joined the bunch. Harry noticed that she was there and silently crept over to the great comfortable chair she was sitting in. "How are you? I haven't seen you since we were in the garden." Ginny had not come to supper because she 'wasn't hungry'

"I'm fine" In truth she was very tired from the lack of food and she was now regretting not eating supper. "Is there still some cake left?" she asked timidly. "I'll go get some for you. You must be hungry since you didn't eat supper," Harry responded and he got up to get her a slice.

"I'm sorry I wasn't down here earlier. How about we practice some quidditch, just you and me tomorrow? We can celebrate your birthday together, just us." Ginny suggested when Harry came back.

"That sounds great, but you don't need much practice, Miss Weasley. You are quite a good seeker and a great chaser as well. But I have a challenge for you,." Harry said with a smirk coming across his face. "Best two out of three, whoever can catch the snitch first wins and will be declared the best seeker in all of Gryffindor house at the start of the term. So are you going to give me my present?" He said pointing at the small slip of paper she held in her hand. Ginny had, in fact, forgot she had even brought it down.

"Sounds like a plan, Potter. You're on for that challenge," Ginny said with a grin. "As for your present, this is not it." She lied as she tucked it away in her pocket. "It's not ready yet, but I will give it to you tomorrow."

"And why is it not ready yet?" Harry asked curiously "What is it? You know that if I don't find out, I might have to tickle it out of you!" Spending so much time together this summer, trying not to be third and fourth wheels on Ron and Hermione's relationship, Harry had learned almost all of Ginny's secrets and weak spots, and likewise with Ginny.

"Potter, this one even Fred and George couldn't get out of me, so I doubt that you could." Ginny said with a sly grin.

"I have my ways…" He then noticed that party in the small living room was dwindling and they were all that was left aside from some small pieces of wrapping paper that had been neglected. "I am going to bed," he said with a yawn and he turned to Ginny, leaned close to her and said quietly in her ear, "Remember our challenge, Weasley. I'm sure to win."

"Sure, and Wormtail is off rotting in a ditch where he belongs." The red-locked maiden responded with an attitude as fiery as her hair. With this they both went up to their rooms and went to bed.

Harry sat on his bed for a while and stared blankly out the window. He couldn't believe that he had the whole day with Ginny, a snitch, and his Firebolt. "I'm already dreaming," he thought and he lay down on the bed. As he did so he hit his head on the headboard. "Ouch! Maybe I'm not dreaming…" he said and went to sleep with a smile.

Just on the other side of the wall Ginny was staring at the ceiling imagining all the different scenarios that she would like to see happen, all of them ending with Harry scooping her off of her Cleansweep, onto his Firebolt, and the two sailing into the stars. "If only…" she whispered to herself and she fell fast asleep.


End file.
